Education continued last week to be called a "top priority" in
annual state-of-the-state messages by governors across the country. And
most requested increases of several percentage points at least in their
budgets for schools. Among the addresses:

CALIFORNIA

Gov. George Deukmejian of California, no longer facing a deficit
because of the state's recovering economy, has proposed a $900-million
funding increase for public schools.

"Education is the key to California's future if we are to continue
to maintain a leadership position in our nation and the world," the
Governor said in a message to the legislature accompanying proposed
increases in the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Under his proposal, state and local funding for California's public
schools would rise from about $11 billion to $11.9 billion. However,
Governor Deukmejian, who last year signed an ambitious school
finance-reform bill, suggested that his commitment to additional
funding hinges on enactment of further education changes.

"Additional reforms are required if we are to truly revitalize
California's system of K-12 education," the Governor said.

He did not specify the changes he seeks but said he will submit them
shortly.

His new budget proposal would:

Provide funds, envisioned in the 1983 bill, to encourage districts
to lengthen their academic year, currently about five days below the
national average, to 180 days; pay for summer classes in mathematics,
science, and other "core" courses; and furnish the second installment
of increased funding for higher starting-teacher salaries and
textbooks;

Restore $211 million he vetoed last year from state contributions to
the teachers' retirement system, and return to the full contribution of
$301 million this year; and

Give schools a 3-percent cost-of-living increase for both regular
and categorical education programs, down from the 6 percent foreseen by
the legislature last year.

Democratic leaders in the Senate have unveiled a proposal that would
give schools not merely an additional $1.1 billion, but an extra $234
million for such new educational improvements as attracting better
teachers and upgrading students' writing skills.

William Honig, California's superintendent of public instruction,
said the Governor's proposed budget "shows strong support for public
education in California." Mr. Honig said the proposed $900-million
increase in funding should serve "as a bottom line, a floor below which
funding will not fall."

COLORADO

Gov. Richard D. Lamm said during his address to the 1984
legislature, which stressed the importance of education to the state's
economic welfare, that the state's school-finance law "is living on
borrowed time" and should be rewritten.

In asking the legislature to review the finance statute, the
Governor said the current method of funding is "complex and does not
promote the common goals of improved quality and equalized
opportunity." He said future legislation should equalize opportunities
for all students and provide incentives for excellence.

The Governor also said he would like a new school-finance law that
redistributes obligations and responsibilities between the state and
local school districts.

The state now provides 40 percent of the total spending on
education, and its share represents about 31 percent of its general
fund. In fiscal 1982, the state spent $3 dollars per student per hour,
which, according to the Governor, "is not much more than we pay for
baby sitters."

In order to compete with its neighbors--New Mexico and Arizona--the
Governor said the state will need to spend $10 million to $20 mil-lion
a year beyond what it now contributes to research and development at
its public colleges and universities.

The Governor was scheduled to submit an "executive budget" last
week. But that budget is considered an advisory document for
consideration by the legislature's Joint Budget Committee, which has
responsibility for state appropriations.

This year, the state education budget is $785.4 million, according
to Doug Bassett, spokesman for the Colorado Department of
Education.

GEORGIA

Gov. Joe Frank Harris of Georgia last week presented the state
legislature with a $4.3-billion general-funds budget for fiscal 1985
that calls for an 11-percent ($165 million) increase in spending for
education.

"My number-one priority in this year's budget is public education,"
Governor Harris said. He called for an education budget of $1.542
billion, not including additional allocations of $72 million for
20-year bonds for school construction and $8 million to pay principal
and interest on the bonds.

In addition, Governor Harris set aside $103 million for a
teacher-compensation package for fiscal 1985 that would raise teacher
salaries by as much as 12.5 percent next year. The Governor's plan
would raise the salaries of all state employees (including school
administrators and teachers) by 3 percent. All teachers would receive
an additional 7-percent salary increase and those with 18 years or more
of experience would receive an additional 2.5-percent raise, according
to Ellis Bateman, director of budget services and federal relations for
the Georgia Department of Education.

"The special teacher-pay package will move Georgia to the forefront
in both national and Southeastern states rankings," the Governor said.
"This pay package represents the largest dollar increase in teacher pay
in the history of our state and will result in the largest percentage
pay increase for schoolteachers in over a decade."

The plan would raise the average salary of teachers this year to
$20,867 and give starting teachers a $14,329 base salary, an increase
of $1,303 from last year, according to Mr. Bateman.

HAWAII

In Hawaii, Gov. George R. Ariyoshi has asked the legislature, which
convenes this week for a $1.2-million boost in school funds for fiscal
year 1985, on top of the $396 million already appropriated. No tax
increase will be required for the budget increase, said state
officials.

The new money, if approved, will be spent on more teachers,
textbooks, and equipment that are needed because enrollment in the
state's public schools has increased slightly more than expected.
"There are no new programs. This is a supplemental budget year, so the
Governor can only recommend new money where there was an unforseen
emergency or expenses," explained Carl Sakata, budget administrator for
the state department of education.

IDAHO

In a positive speech reflecting the state's improved economic
condition, Gov. John V. Evans of Idaho said in his state-of-the-state
address last week that he would work to restore funds to the many
service programs that suffered cuts during the recession. He proposed
an education budget about $75 million above the 1983-84
appropriation.

The total budget the Governor has proposed is $559.9 million, $85
million above last year's requests, and $108 million above the 1983-84
legislative appropriation.

About 72 percent of the budget request is slated for education
programs, said Barbara Swaczy, special assistant to the Governor.

The additional $75 million would be used to fund reforms proposed by
the Governor's Task Force on Education in November, the Governor said
in his address.

Those reforms include increased teacher salaries, a six-period
school day for all high-school students, increased high-school
graduation requirements, updating vocational-education programs,
establishing multiple levels of courses "over and above the minimums,"
and improving the state's schools of education.

IOWA

The Iowa legislature convened last week to enact a budget for fiscal
1985, having failed last year to pass the second year of what was
supposed to be a biennial budget.

Among other items, the lawmakers are considering Gov. Terry E.
Branstad's recommendation that general aid to school districts be
increased by about $44 million, to $707 million out of a fiscal 1985
budget of about $2 billion. Because state general aid to schools is
driven by a formula that remains essentially the same from year to
year,the increase will automatically go into effect unless the
legislature alters it.

The bulk of the increase in general aid, according to Max M. Miller,
administrative assistant to Governor Branstad, will go toward
maintaining existing programs. But the Governor has proposed a few new
initiatives, including an awards program to recognize schools that have
made significant improvements.

He has also recommended that the state encourage districts to
earmark funds for staff development by permitting them to raise an
additional $1 in property taxes for every $2 they spend out of existing
funds on inservice programs. And he has proposed increasing the
incentives for districts to pool students and resources to offer
courses for which demand is low--particularly upper-level high-school
courses. The cost to the state would be about $60,000 for current
cooperative programs, Mr. Miller said.

Governor Branstad's plan calls for no increase in general taxes but
recommends boosts in gasoline taxes, drivers' license fees, and
alcoholic-beverage prices, the proceeds of which will be earmarked for
the state highway patrol, roads, and substance-abuse programs.

KANSAS

Gov. John Carlin, calling education one of the "quiet crises"
endangering the quality of life in Kansas--and his top priority this
year--asked the legislature to approve an 11.6-percent increase in
school funds

The additional $54.3 million would raise the current education
budget to $519.7 million. The added funds, the Governor said, are to be
used primarily as a stimulus to districts to increase teacher salaries
by about 10 percent.

The general fund from tax receipts, out of which support for schools
comes, is estimated at $1.67 billion in the new budget. Of that amount,
about 42 percent will go to precollegiate education, an aide to the
Governor said.

In 1982, the average salary of Kansas teachers was $18,231. The
projected average salary of teachers this year is $19,598, the aide
said.

Under the Governor's teacher-salary plan, the state would allow
districts to increase their budgets by 2 percent more than is now
permitted under state law.

To be eligible for the higher spending authority, the districts
would have to increase spending on salaries by the same percentage as
the increase they receive in state aid, and they would have to use the
additional 2-percent budget authority for salaries.

Under another proposal, candidate for teaching certificates also
would be required to pass the National Teacher Examination starting in
the spring of 1986. The Governor asked the legislature to appropriate
$115,000 this year to determine whether the nte is ap-propriate for
Kansas teachers.

The Governor also called for the creation of a one-year internship
program for prospective teachers. Under the proposal, first-year
teachers would be required to teach under the supervision of a master
teacher, school administrator, and education-school faculty member.
Now, the state requires a two-year probation period; candidates who
successfully passed the internship would start their second
probationary year. The program would begin in the fall of 1986.

Governor Carlin also asked the legislature to provide an additional
$1 million in matching funds to districts with plans for inservice
training programs for teachers. He also asked legislators to provide
$230,000 to continue a competency-testing program in mathematics and
reading for students in the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th grades; to
raise the number of mathematics and science credits required for
graduation from one to two each; and to add a new half-year
computer-science requirement. Those requirements would be phased in
beginning in 1986.

NEW JERSEY

Gov. Thomas H. Kean last week in his state-of-the-state address
recommitted himself to improving education in New Jersey and announced
that he will soon launch "a major, comprehensive" initiative to address
the problems of the state's urban schools.

"There come times when certain issues become so vital to the quality
of our society and to its very survival that we ignore them at our
peril. Today, education is such an issue," he said during a 45-minute
speech to the 201st New Jersey legislature.

Governor Kean noted the actions his administration took during 1983
to improve the state's schools. And he said he has directed the state's
department of education to provide him by March with a "workable plan"
to upgrade New Jersey's urban schools. "The program I am recommending
recognizes the need to set and adhere to the same rigorous standards
for urban students as for all others," he said.

He added that the new initiative would also provide a "support
structure" for urban students and "deal directly" with such problems as
drug and alcohol abuse, which he described as "a particularly
destructive force in a significant number of urban schools."

Governor Kean also announced in his speech to the legislature that
in his budget for the next fiscal year, which will be announced
separately on Jan. 30, he will propose that the state fund a "special
program" for retraining mathematics and science teachers and training
teachers in other fields who would be used to help fill shortages in
the math and science fields.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Two days after a key committee in the House of Representatives
unanimously approved his comprehensive education-reform package, Gov.
Richard W. Riley told a joint session of the legislature that the state
has what an aide called a "once-in-a-decade chance" to fundamentally
transform the state's school system.

The Governor asked the legislature to approve a $2.4-billion state
budget that includes $210 million for education reforms proposed last
year. Those proposals include new initiatives in remedial education, a
school-improvement award, early-childhood education, programs for
gifted and talented students, and more state-mandated testing. (See
Education Week, Nov. 9, 1983.)

The education committee of the House voted 18-to-0 to approve the
specific recommendations made by Governor Riley and Superintendent
Charlie G. Williams. The panel did not pass judgment on the Governor's
proposals for financing the reforms, however. Those proposals, which
include a 1-cent increase in the state sales tax, will be considered by
the House Ways and Means Committee.

The education reforms would cost the state about $1.2 billion over
the next five years, aides said.

UTAH

Gov. Scott M. Matheson of Utah ranked education as his top priority for
the coming year in his biennial budget address to the state legislature
and in a prime-time televised speech to Utah citizens last week.

"Repeated budget cuts sustained by public and higher education are
beginning to erode educational quality," the Governor said in his
address to the legislature.

Governor Matheson requested a total state budget of $2.4 billion,
with $313 million earmarked for higher education and $861 million for
elementary and secondary education. He requested an additional $148
million to finance an educational-reform package and offset the
increased costs of the state's rapidly growing school-age
population.

The Governor's reform agenda also addresses higher teacher salaries
and attracting better candidates to the profession.

This year's budget request represents a 15.7-percent increase for
schools and a 16.1-percent increase for higher education. His total
1985 budget proposal represents an 11.8-percent increase over the
1984.

The Governor proposed income, sales, corporate, and other tax
increases to support his proposals. "I would not ask either the
legislature or the public to support dramatic budget increases for
education," he said, "unless I believed that our tax dollars will be
used wisely."

VERMONT

Gov. Richard A. Snelling has renewed his request for legislative
backing of an early-childhood-education initiative and asked also for a
$10-million increase in state aid to education.

In his address to the legislature earlier this month, the Governor
proposed tax increases that would be used to offset the state's current
financial problems. One of the tax proposals--a half-cent increase in
the state sales tax--would be used to support the Governor's education
initiatives.

The increase in the sales tax is expected to generate $3 million to
support the early-childhood initiative and $7 million would be
distributed to the schools.

In addition to the $10 million, the Governor will request later this
month a 5-percent increase in general state aid to education, according
to David Dillon, the Governor's press secretary. The state contributes
between 25 percent and 30 percent of the total cost of education.

Mr. Dillon said that $7 million would be distributed to school
districts through the state-aid formula and that the Governor proposes
to use the money "to increase teacher salaries and upgrade performance
standards in the schools."

The Governor, who announced he will not seek re-election for a fifth
term this year, said improving the quality of education "is the single
most important thing the state can do for its future."

WEST VIRGINIA

Gov. John D. Rockefeller 4th, in his address last week to the West
Virginia legislature, termed education his top priority. The Governor
called for major initiatives to raise the salaries of teachers and
school service personnel and to modernize school buildings.

The Governor's $1.47 billion general-funds budget set aside $716.3
million for K-12 programs for fiscal 1985, an increase of about $25.5
million from last year, according to Marie L. Prezioso, deputy
commissioner of finance and administration for the state.

"We must make a special and determined effort to increase salaries
for our school teachers and school service personnel in elementary and
secondary education," the Governor said in his address.

He proposed a "three-pronged" compensation package that includes a
7.5-percent across-the-board increase in the base salary for teachers
and school service personnel. Under the plan, average base salaries for
teachers would rise $1,180 and the average salary for support personnel
would rise by $700.

The Governor also called for additional "experience increments" that
would provide an additional average raise of $321 for teachers and $180
for service personnel.

If the state has a surplus at the end of the year, Governor
Rockefeller said he would set aside an additional $29 million for
"equalization increases" as called for by the Master Plan for Education
that was ordered by a West Virginia trial judge last March. That would
provide teachers and service personnel with an additional average raise
of $730 and $460, respectively.

The Governor set aside $600 million for bonds for the construction
of school buildings over the next 10 years. The measure must be
approved by state voters in November 1984 if it receives the approval
of the states lawmakers.

In his address, Governor Rockefeller proposed legislation to allow
teachers and school personnel to credit unused sick leave toward
retirement and to retire after 30 years of service no matter what their
age.

He also called for a statewide levy for schools.

The Governor allocated $489,000 for development and administration
of a statewide examination to measure student learning outcomes;
$200,000 for a microcomputer network program; and $195,000 for an
advanced-training academy for school principals to improve their
effectiveness. He also allocated funds to programs for gifted students
and in the humanities.

The fiscal 1985 budget also set aside $111,000 for county school
accreditation programs, $57,000 for a school-facilities study, and
$448,000 for libraries.

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